Hemorrhoidal and rectal support



Aug. 30, 1938. w. @LDER 2,128,670

HEMORRHOIDAL AND RECTAL SUPPORT Filed Sept. 25, 1936 Patented Aug. 30,1938 UNITED STATES HEMORRHOIDAL AND RECTAL SUPPORT Walter Bolder, MountDennis, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to Ralph Roland Spicer, Toronto, On-

tario, Canada Application September 25, 1936, Serial No. 102,508 InCanada April 9, 1936 Claims.

The principal objects of the ,inventionare to reduce the suffering andinconvenience experienced by persons afflicted with a hemorrhoidalcondition and to provide a comfortable support I 5 in the rectal region,which may be readily adjusted and adapted to the requirements of theindividual.

A further object is to provide a simple form of device for this purposewhich may be manufactured and sold at low cost, and which will be of asanitary nature and will provide for the support of medicaments, whenrequired, in intimate association with the affected area.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the provision of arectal supporting device in the form of a soft resilient cupped elementwhich is slidably adjustable on a strap adapted to be passed between thelegs and which in turn is adjustably connected with and supported by abody-encircling band.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a support deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the adjustable supporting element on anenlarged scale showing same removed from the supporting strap.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the supporting element shown inFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the leg strap portion of thedevice showing the resilient supporting element mounted in positionthereon.

The present invention has been devised particularly with a view toalleviating suffering and inconvenience experienced by hemorrhoidsufferers, and to provide an effective and comfortable support in theregion of the rectum either to prevent protrusion of the swollen tissuesor to support an absorbent material or medicament in contact with theaffected area.

In the form of the construction shown a body band I is provided whichfits snugly about the waist of the individual and this band ispreferably provided with downwardly depending tabs or pad formations 2and 3 disposed respectively at the front and rear.

The front pad 2 is here shown provided with a pair of fastening elementst spaced horizontally about the peripheral band I and the rear tab 3carries a single fastening element 5 similar to the elements 4.

A perineal strap 6 carries an adjustable fastener device i at therearward end for disengageable contact with the fastening element 5 andthe forward end of the said strap is divided or provided with divergingstrap extensions 6, the end extremities of which are adjustablyconnected with fastener devices 3 which are adapted to detachablyconnect with the spacedforward belt fastener elements 4.

The perineal strap 6 and extensions 6 are preferably formed of elastictextile.

A soft resilient support element 9 preferably moulded from a gum rubberoverlies the strap 6, being here shown of elongated form having a raisedannular bead Ill forming a socket or cup formation l I, the annular beadbeing preferably of substantial sector shape in cross section as bestillustrated in Figure 3 with the inner wall surface diverging downwardlyat a slight angle and with the outer surface rounded and adapted to bearupwardly against the anus, thus effecting a positive but gentle supportof the hemorrhoids and lower bowel preventing accidental protrusionthereof.

The cup or socket formation is here shown perforated at l2 to providevents and secretions from the ruptured blood cells in the case ofbleeding hemorrhoids will be caught in the cup formation and may beabsorbed by a small quantity of ab sorbent material such as shown at l3Figure 4, which may be placed in the cup formation and frequentlyrenewed, and such absorbent material may or may not have associatedtherewith a suitable soothing or healing medicament, as desired.

The construction is such that in cases where profuse bleeding isexperienced, a heavier pad or absorbent material may be simply insertedbetween the strap 6 and the support device 9, and in this case thesecretions will be conducted to the absorbent material through the ventopenings [2 in the cup bottom.

As a means of securing the support device 9 positively but adjustably ina desired position on the strap 6, the end portions of the device areshown notched at opposite sides as at M and elastic bands l5 encirclethe strap 6 and fit in the paired notches I4 under tension so that theyeffectively clamp the element 9 in any desired position in the length ofthe strap, and in cases where an absorbent material is inserted betweenthe strap 6 and support 9, the clamping action of the bands [5 willserve to support such material in place.

The construction is such that it may be maintained in a desirablesanitary condition since the strap 6 with its extensions 6 may bequickly detached for washing and the support element 9 may be quicklyremoved from the strap and sterilized.

The element 9 with its cup formation, being of soft resilient gum rubberwill accommodate itself to the contour of the region with which itcontacts without chafing or harshness providing an efiective butcomfortable seal about the anus.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A hemorrhoidal and rectal support having in combination a resilientelement formed of a solid strip of gum rubber having an annular beadformation of substantial sector shape in cross section projectingpromimently thereabove for direct contact about the anus, said beadformation presenting an open socket adapted to hold a pad of absorbentor medicated material in direct contact with the anus and to receivesecretions, and means for supporting said resilient element in pressurecontact with the rectal region.

2. A hemorrhoidal and rectal support compris.

ing in combination a soft flexible support element having a bottomedannular cup portion to seat about the anus and having vents leading fromthe interior of the cup at a point below the upper seating portionthereof on the upper side of the bottom to ensure against their beingclosed by contact with the affected area, and means for holding saidelement in pressure contact with the rectal region.

3. A hemorrhoidal and rectal support as claimed in claim 2 in which saidcupped portion is moulded integral with a base portion of soft flexiblerubber and adapted to flex bodily and said vents comprise perforationsin the resilient cup bottom to conduct away secretions collectedtherein.

4. In a hemorrhoidal and rectal support having a perineal strap, a thinrectangular strip of soft rubber having an annular cup-forming flangemounted integral therewith for seating contact about the anus, saidstrip being adapted to overlie the perineal strap and to flex readilyinto conformity with the region adjacent the anus, and endless elasticbands encircling the perineal strap and said rectangular rubber strip.

5 In a hemorrhoidal and rectal support having a perineal strap, a thinrectangular strip of soft rubber having an annular cup-forming flangeand adjustably securing said elements together. 25

WALTER BOLDER.

